Silverton tech firm awards three laptops, one internship

A Silverton technology firm recently awarded three 2015 high-school graduates from the region with a $600 Lenovo laptop computer and software package. Recipients were chosen through a video entry, their pursuit of higher education and having an excellent high school GPA.

This is the second year Compex, Inc. has awarded laptops to area students as part of the company’s “Compex Technology with Purpose” campaign. Within that campaign is the “Off to College with a Laptop” scholarship program. The recipients are: Megan Traeger, Silverton; Emily Loyd, Salem; and, Claire Juran, Keizer.

“We are super excited to see the local youth head into the world to do good stuff with a Compex laptop in their bag. We hope they continue to stay in touch and make Silverton proud,” said Matthew Middlestetter, owner of Compex and resident of Silverton.

In 2014, the program also gave two graduating high school seniors a laptop, and a “Laptop for a Good Cause” was given to the Silverton Church of the Nazarene.

Compex employs nine people in their Silverton office at 110 S 2nd St., said Heide Hickok, marketing brand manager for Compex. She explains that laptops are a good fit with her employer, who provides technical solutions to businesses. “Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and even auto mechanics,” Hickok added.

The company’s contribution to education and technology doesn’t end with laptops. Compex also hires tech-savvy interns.

At the end of September, Timothy Visser will leave his position as a paid summer intern at Compex and return to the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls. He has completed his first year of his four-year degree in Health Informatics and Business Design, as well as Database Management. A 2014 graduate of Silverton High School, Visser received a laptop from Compex, which made his name and educational intent known to the Silverton technology firm.

His area of study and expertise was put to good use, he said. “I started at about 8:30 each day by logging into the Compex system to run maintenance on the software and resolve any conflicts in the system. … I would do fix up for the clients. Most of it is very site specific – data, servers, passwords.”

This daily work fits well with his ultimate goal of working in a large medical setting, most likely a hospital, he said.

Hickok said having Visser return to Silverton to work with Compex, Inc., fits well with their Technology With Purpose mission “to strengthen community by supporting schools, families and culture.”

She added that at Compex, he has used those abilities as well as gained additional experience in the areas of networking, cloud solutions, data storage and end-user support.

Hickok encouraged all area high school seniors to consider applying for the “Off to College with a Laptop” scholarship, and is anticipating significant growth in the coming years, as social media is the main catalyst for promotion. Students are made aware of the program in the fall by their high school and encouraged to apply in the spring via the Compex Facebook page and website, www.Compextech.com/technology-with-purpose.